Description
This collection of Christmas carols, arranged for tin whistle in D or standard Irish flute, is a supplement to Grey Larsen’s book, Easy Christmas Favorites for Tin Whistle or Irish Flute.
In that book, each of the 30 carols are presented in just one key. However, it is possible to play 24 of them in an alternate key — in fact one of them can be played in two alternate keys — while still satisfying the criteria that makes them easy to play on tin whistle and Irish flute. (Those criteria are shown below.) This supplement provides these additional Christmas carol arrangements, in standard music notation, tablature, and with audio recordings.
On the recordings, Cindy Kallet plays guitar accompaniment while Grey Larsen plays a Session Whistle in D from Carbony Celtic Winds or an Irish flute. The chords you hear on the recordings are shown in the music notation.
The audio recordings come in five different versions. You may download any or all of them.
- Guitar alone (no whistle or flute)
- Irish flute alone (no guitar)
- Irish flute and guitar
- Tin whistle alone (no guitar)
- Tin whistle and guitar
You may enjoy playing whistle, flute, or another melody instrument along with #1, above.
Here you may listen to four examples from this collection:
- O Come, All Ye Faithful – whistle and guitar
- The First Noel – Irish flute and guitar
- Joy to the World – whistle and guitar
- We Three Kings – Irish flute and guitar
The sheet music component is a 36-page PDF file.
You might also enjoy some free downloads related to Easy Christmas Favorites for Tin Whistle or Irish Flute.
These Christmas carol arrangements are easy to play on tin whistle or Irish flute because:
- They are played in the lower two octaves of the whistle and flute’s range, ascending no higher than B in the second octave. (Notes above this can be challenging to play on the whistle, and they sound too loud and shrill to many people.)
- They are in easy whistle and flute keys: D major, G major, E minor or B minor.
- They use only the eight primary notes of the D whistle and Irish flute: D, E, F-sharp, G, A, B, C and C-sharp. No half-holing required.
